China has invested billions of dollars in an overhaul of infrastructure in Sri Lanka which is an integral part of the Belt and Road Initiative. One such project is the over-200-kilometer-long Southern Expressway that has changed lives of many Sri Lankans’. At a total length of 96 kilometers, the expressway extension was divided into four parts. The second and the third parts were built by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).
CHENG HUAQIANG Deputy General Manager, CSCEC Sri Lanka “Since 2012, CSCEC has actively engaged in the construction of highways, roads, high-end housing, etc. in Sri Lanka, promoted traffic interconnection and improved the lives of local residents. Since the opening of the Southern Expressway Extension Line Project, the project has reduced the driving time from Colombo to Hambantota port from more than five hours to about two hours, greatly facilitating the regional economic development.”
The Southern Expressway Extension effectively improves connectivity among cities and promotes local tourism, which substantially reduces the time for cargo and passenger transport between two major ports of Colombo and Hambantota.
